DIVING IN CABILAO

DIVE SITES

The House Reef / Gorgonia Wall

This wall runs parallel to the shore, starting at a depth of 5 meters and dropping off to 50 meters and beyond in some areas. There are a multitude of small crevices and overhangs to explore and a healthy variety of soft and hard corals covering the wall, accompanied by a large number of sea fans. Here you’ll find all kinds of reef fish, triggerfish and maybe a cruising tuna or jack fish in the blue just off the reef. Around the corals look out for the many different kinds of nudibranch or even the famous Pigmy seahorse.

Currents can vary a lot with the tides, making for excellent drift dives or current-free dives depending on the time of day. It is a great site, suitable for all levels of divers.

Shark View Point / Current View Point

At the end of Gorgonia Wall, there is a sandy plateau at a depth of 30 meters on the North West corner of the island. Here, there is usually a strong current running over the plateau making it possible to spot shoals of batfish, hunting jackfish or even barracuda. The bigger pelagic are not sighted s they once were, but if you are lucky, you may get a passing hammerhead or white tip reef shark. On the plateau, you will find different species of sand eels watching you as you make your way along the colorful wall back to the boat.

This dive is suitable only for experienced divers with advanced certification as currents range from mild to very strong on and around the plateau and a dive depth of 30 meters.

Lighthouse (1,2,3 & Extension)

This dive site covers a large area of North West Cabilao, so it has been broken down into four areas. You will find a wide sandy slope with the bottom broken up by meadows of seagrass with some coral formations. Known as one of the best Muck diving areas Cabilao has to offer, photographers and divers will find a wide variety of life: stonefish, devil fish, leaf fish, sea snakes, mantis shrimps and an astonishing variety of nudibranchs. The sloping plateau continues down to an average depth of 20 meters when it becomes a coral barrier at the top of a wall which descends into the depths. The area can be dived at any time but is at its best during high tide when the slope is in the lee of the current.

The four dive site areas are suitable for all level of divers with depths ranging from 2 meters to 10 meters on the slope and deeper on the reef wall.

Fallen Tree

This site is named after a large coconut tree trunk that was lodged in the corals, over the years the tree has gone, but the name remains. The dive starts in the shallow sloping seagrass meadows which are home to ghost pipefish, shrimp fish, and seahorse continues down the slope to 18 meters then turns into a steep wall where you can find barracuda or a turtle waiting to greet you. The wall extends down to 60 meters and can make for a nice drift dive.

The site is suitable all divers. The slope for the less qualified and the wall for the more experienced. Both areas are fantastic and well worth diving.

Chapel Point & 3 Coco

These two dive sites are in the south of the Cabilao Marine Reserve fish sanctuary. These sites are wall dive with lots of large hard corals and Gorgornia. When you are looking out to the blue, it is not unusual to see hunting tuna, jackfish, or even barracudas. Upon the hard coral plateau at 6 meters it is nice to see the coral caves and overhangs which are home to groupers and coral Hinds.

These sites are suitable all divers with starting depth of 6 meters.

South Point

This dive site is located on the southern tip of Cabilao and exposed to strong currents. You can find spectacular hard corals at depths of 5-12 meters. These hard corals are vast, ancient and in fantastic condition. It’s a tremendous location to observe the different species in their competition for light and space. With the large coral overhangs and topography, it is one of those dives that leave you with a big smile on your face for a long time after you surface.

The site is suitable for all divers, but the overhanging corals are at a depth of 25 meters.